The One- and Two-Plane Golf Swings, by Jim Hardy - Page 4

Re: The One- and Two-Plane Golf Swings, by Jim Hardy

Originally Posted by Guinness23

I started with the plane truth last year needing some kind of consistency, as my practice time was non-existent with 2 little kids. I struggled with it at first. I wanted to be a 1 planer as it just seemed to be a simpler swing, even though I had more of the 2 plane characteristics. After trying a while, i gave up and worked on the 2 plane. Since then I have actually been playing some the best golf I have in a while. The real key with that is you have to work on your tempo alot, but I do feel it is a very easy wing to learn, much easier than the 1 plane. My main thought is to just keep my arms in front of my body throughout the swing. I hit has added length for my irons without feeling like I am swinging. I would encourage you, if you try the method, to go with the one that you have dominant characteristics. Good luck.



No does anybody have anything to say about putting gurus? I have tried Pelz for awhile, but I just struggle with my putting, and I tend to practice alot.

Just read through this book, for me its really informative and a great read.  I went through major changes in my swing 1 and a half year ago with the pro at my club.  To him I was standing too erect and swinging the club too close to my body,  I should bend more from the hips and create more space for my hands, little did I know that when I look in a mirror now from my backswing that I am close or on 1 plane, but was definitely a 2 planer before.  After having picked up some advice from the book I hit it much more consistently, I still had some extra weight on my right foot from my 2 plane days and it was causing some sculls and fat shots, also looked at some grip changes.  Next up is checking the balance of my feet in the backswing, think I am shifting on the right foot, want to eliminate that.  Then go meet the pro :)

Just throwing this out to add another name to the list.  I just saw an interview of Matt Kuchar at the PGA Merchandise Show, and he told the interviewer that he attributed his much greater consistency and accuracy to his (very "Flat") one-plane swing.  He said it reduces the requirement of "perfect timing".  His words; not mine.

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Originally Posted by Guinness23 


No does anybody have anything to say about putting gurus? I have tried Pelz for awhile, but I just struggle with my putting, and I tend to practice alot.

Yes, try www.patobriengolf.com

SImple, centered, shoulders more level, and with his grip, most of the right hand stays off the grip so it's got all the advantages of left hand low without going left hand low.

Oh, yes, and he's Zach Johnson's and Vaughn Taylor's short game guru, among others on the tour.

This must be posted under the wrong topic.  What the *%@& does Putting Gurus have to do with the Jim Hardy One Plane / Two Plane Swing?

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Originally Posted by milfordj 

This must be posted under the wrong topic.  What the *%@& does Putting Gurus have to do with the Jim Hardy One Plane / Two Plane Swing?

Nothing to do with Hardy. The OP asked for a putting guru -- see the quote.

Thanks.

I've got this book and The Plane Truth for Golfers Master Class.

In Hardy's first book he leans very heavily toward a one plane swing and mentions golfing greats Hogan and Snead  as part of the one plane gang,  then in a lame attempt claims Tiger Woods, well i'm not having it. As a fully paid up member of the two plane gang Tiger is one of us, always has been always will be. Later in the book Hardy tries to throw us two planers a bone by mentioning golfing also-rans, Toms, love, Irwin and two female golfers Karrie Webb and Nancy Lopez,  he almost has to force himself to mention golf legend Tom Watson and virtually make him out to be a freak of nature. It just shows you what goes through the twisted mind of a one plane golfer that you could write a book on the golf swing and not even mention the greatest spotsman in the history of sport, the undisputed champion of the golf swing Jack "the two plane swing"Nicklaus 

Not quite sure if you are having us on, with the "twisted mind of a one plane golfer" comment, but it is funny, for sure.  Hardy makes no qualms about saying that, for people who are physically able, the one-plane swing is more consistent, in his opinion.  I can't speak too much about his two-plane discussions, as I didn't read those chapters (I'm one of those twisted one-planers).

I am a 1-plane golfer, it just feels right to me.  Everyone is different.  The most beautiful swing in the world is a 2-plane swing, Fred Couples.  I wonder why he was not mentioned in that section?

I own this book.  It was the first golf mechanics book I read.   I've found it useful as a general guide, and very helpful as my first book giving an intro to just general principles of the golf swing.  But I've found, unsurprisingly I suppose, that I've needed to take the book as a guide and work out my own swing.  I'm settling very much on what Erik said (and hinted at, in my interpretation of his many posts) in the OP: stay very centered on the back swing, one plane, VERY quiet lower body on the back swing, power from uncoiling the core.

Staying centered is the key, and not as easy as it sounds.  I try to think of keeping my head in the same place throughout the swing.  Another thing is keeping my weight from being transfered to my right by feeling like it is on the inside of my right foot.  Another thing I try to practice is quiet hands and arms, a one piece takeaway helps with this.

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Originally Posted by Dave2278 

Staying centered is the key, and not as easy as it sounds.  I try to think of keeping my head in the same place throughout the swing.  Another thing is keeping my weight from being transfered to my right by feeling like it is on the inside of my right foot.  Another thing I try to practice is quiet hands and arms, a one piece takeaway helps with this.

This is pretty much exactly my feeling.  I've found for myself that concentrating on keeping my head in place isn't enough though.  I try to feel like the whole line from the crown of my head to my tail bone isn't moving right or left at all.  Obviously this isn't really true, since I'm tucking my hips and with the coil on the backswing it's not actually physically possible for no single vertebrae to move left or right, but thinking of that feeling helps me.  Also, concentrating on a VERY quiet lower body helps me too.  

I've found that I hit the ball much more consistently when I err on the side of almost not moving or twisting my lower body at all and getting all the rotation from the back (lower and upper) and shoulders, rather than erring the other way.  I know it's not what most would recommend, but I've found it works for me, and it helps me keep my swing more compact, and actually helps me get maximum coil in my core without going all John Daly on the backswing length, which gives me a little extra power too.

The whole one plane/ two plane deal doesn´t really make any sense. Some swings are a little steeper and others a little flatter, but there isn´t a single player on tour whos arms match up exactly with his shoulders at the top of his backswing position (provided he takes the club back to parallel). So nobody on tour has a one plane swing according to Hardys definition except maybe Matt Kuchar.

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Originally Posted by LongballGer 

The whole one plane/ two plane deal doesn´t really make any sense. Some swings are a little steeper and others a little flatter, but there isn´t a single player on tour whos arms match up exactly with his shoulders at the top of his backswing position (provided he takes the club back to parallel). So nobody on tour has a one plane swing according to Hardys definition except maybe Matt Kuchar.

I disagree. There are tons of guys who have their arms and shoulders inline with eachother at the top. In fact, I've seen this video so many times, here's one:

Kuchar is like Wi, with both his arms and shoulders a little bit flatter. 

Beautiful swing, a perfect example. 

The thing is though he´s making more of 3/4 backswing. If he were to lengthen his backswing so that the shaft would be parallel to the ground his arms would be above his shoulder plane.

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Originally Posted by jamo 

I disagree. There are tons of guys who have their arms and shoulders inline with eachother at the top. In fact, I've seen this video so many times, here's one:

 

 

Kuchar is like Wi, with both his arms and shoulders a little bit flatter.